NEWS Staff Report
Late Wednesday, the state and defense concluded their arguments in a weeklong trial over the 2023 killing of a San Benito Police Officer while on duty.
Rogelio Rodriguez Jr. of Brownsville faced a jury of his peers in a Brownsville courtroom this week, accused of firing the fatal shot that killed San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez during a pursuit that began on South Padre Island.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty, and Martinez has pleaded not guilty.
The case stems from an Oct. 17, 2023, incident that began when a Cameron County Parks officer stopped a pickup truck for allegedly speeding on the beach at South Padre Island. Authorities say the vehicle fled, prompting a pursuit through Port Isabel and into Brownsville.
Several hours later, authorities located the suspects in a second vehicle, triggering a second pursuit that eventually reached San Benito.
Resendez joined the pursuit and was struck by gunfire that entered his patrol vehicle on the driver’s side. He was transported to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
Martinez faces capital murder of a peace officer, along with six counts of attempted capital murder of a peace officer and two counts of evading arrest. He was 18 at the time of the shooting.
Co-defendant Rodrigo Axel Espinosa Valdez previously pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of murder.
Resendez was 54 at the time of his death and had spent decades in law enforcement. He was the first San Benito police officer killed in the line of duty.
During this week’s testimony, jurors heard from fellow first responders who were at the scene, a forensic pathologist, a forensic firearms analyst, and a Texas Ranger who interviewed the suspect.
The defense claimed Martinez was not the shooter, but later in the week, that claim was arguably contradicted by Martinez’s own words when jurors were shown a recorded interview after he was apprehended by law enforcement in Brownsville.
In that video interview, Martinez said that although he may have wielded a weapon, he fired it indiscriminately without the intent to hit Resendez, adding that his intent was to have law enforcement retreat from the chase.
The state also called Dr. Elizabeth J. Miller, the Cameron County forensic pathologist; Norma Luna, a Texas Department of Public Safety forensic firearms analyst; and Texas Ranger Patrick O’Connor.
O’Connor interviewed Martinez’s sister, who was at the scene when Martinez and Valdez were stopped on South Padre Island. She, another female, and the children who were also at the scene were dropped off in Port Isabel as the initial chase commenced.
Martinez was on probation for theft at the time, prompting him to flee and fire on law enforcement. He later showed police where the firearms involved in the shooting were discarded.
O’Connor said Martinez was about 10-12 feet from Resendez’s vehicle when he fired the fatal shots.
Resendez graduated from San Benito High School in 1987 and attended Rangerville Elementary and the middle schools Miller Jordan and Berta Cabaza.
He later attended Texas Southmost College and the Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council Police Academy. Before joining the SBPD, Resendez served with the Brownsville, Palm Valley, and San Benito CISD Police Departments. In total, he served more than 30 years in law enforcement.
Resendez was born on September 2, 1969, to Milton and Susana M. Resendez, both of whom predeceased him. He’s survived by his wife, Melissa, whom he met while attending Texas Southmost College, as well as by his siblings and numerous nieces and nephews. According to his obituary, he and Melissa were married for 27 years when he died.
